Fiji Faces National Health Emergency as HIV Cases Surge Sharply

UPDATE - follow-up to Fiji declares HIV a national crisis as diagnoses surge - Reuters: Fiji has officially declared a national crisis in response to a sharp rise in HIV diagnoses, with current figures showing that one in every sixty people in the country now has the virus.

New Measures

To tackle the growing outbreak, health authorities have extended the nationwide testing program and put new measures in place to strengthen the medical response. UNAIDS has also stepped in to support Fiji as it rolls out these emergency steps. Officials note that a broader drug crisis is a major factor fueling the rapid spread of infections across the island nation.